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Dream is the right word, in this angle of the world God seems to have
given more beauty than in other places... "the day of
Universal Judgement for the people of Amalfi who go to Paradise will
be a day like any other..." RENATO FUCINI
Paradise we find in the hundreds of churches, in the sumptuous
mansions with twin arched windows entwined with bougainvillaea , in
the squares with window sells adorned with geraniums and piennolo
tomatoes...
The entrance to the town is guarded by the majestic Tower of St
Francis, Spanish but called by the local population "Saracen";
the view of the town makes a deep impression; the "quarter
Vagliendola" the many small boats anchored, the verdant vigour of
the gardens of the Cappuccini...
A little further away the hamlets, little more than clusters of houses,
grouped around Moorish bell-towers hanging in the green of vineyards
and terraces of lemons that descend to the sea.... In the distance the
Capo di Conca...
On the
inside of the road , a marble plaque to the memory of famous guests of
the hotel, originally the convent of St. Francis (1222); inside a
precious cloister: A little further on a ramp of steps lead to
the Church of St. Anthony, admire the frescoes of XIII
century in the crypt, on the 13th of June there is a naval procession
in sign of devotion to the Saint. The ex-monastery of the Benedictines,
built in the X century, but since the XIX century a monumental
cemetery and above this the remains of the Castle of Scalelle
with the high Tower of the Ziro... This is in territory of
Scala so we will talk about it elsewhere....
Now we find ourselves in Viale delle Regioni, The Panel of Ceramics
by Diodoro Cossa celebrates the history of Amalfi. We now enter
Piazza Municipio (Town Hall Square ), the ancient Quarter
Campolillo , Where there were once aristocratic houses and the
Ducal Palace: there a few Remains of the Ducal Palace and a
medieval Well.
The grand Mansion colour ocra is the town hall, which also holds the Civic
Museum, where the former glories are held: eg. The "Tarì",
Ancient Nautical Instruments, including the Compass; the very rare
Codes amongst which the " Tabulae Amalphitanae", (
the Amalfi Tables), and a copy of "Pandette del Corpus Juris
Civilis" by Giustiniano; the antique Confalone (banner)
and the Costumes of the Republic, worn on the occasion of the
Historical Regatta of the Four Maritime Republics, a rowing race
between Amalfi, Pisa, Genoa and Venice who host the event alternately
the first week in June. We now take the narrow passage on the northern
side of the square, the Supportico St. Andrea and at the end a large
dark door that is the secondary entrance to the Cathedral.
Ahead of us the Crypt of St. Andrew built in 1206 A.D. to hold
the sacred remains of the Apostle, brought to Amalfi from
Constantinople, and placed in a silver urn under the central altar a
work of Domenico Fontana; On this tomb at various times of the year an
ampoule fills with "La Manna", a mysterious liquid
with miraculous qualities , it appeared
for the first time the 29 nov. of 1304 A.D. .The statue of St. Andrew
is a work of Naccherino, at the sides St: Stephen and St. Laurence by
Pietro Bernini, father of the more famous Lorenzo; on the wall in
front of the altar a Fresco by Aniello Falcone (1610) that documents
the miracle of the
saint when his remains entered the Cathedral and also the only example
of the Cathedral before the adaptation to Baroque...
The steps at the back lead to the Basilica of the SS.Crucifix,
built in the IX century it holds between the large columns : a
precious fresco of the high medieval period ( a Madonna with child,
Scene of the Miracles and Portraits of Saints , amongst whom the Beato
fra Gerardo Sasso Amalfitan and founder of the Order of Malta). Closed
in solid cases the Cathedral Treasure, the precious Angevin Mitre made
of gems, gold and enamel and a "pave" of 19.000 pearls, the Chalice
in silver gilt with enamel, pearls and gems from the middle of the XIV
century: We pass from the Basilica to the Cloister of Paradise (1298)
the ancient cemetery of the important citizens: The style is perfectly
Amalfitan, the entwined arches are held by 120 marble columns and the
play of light through the arches makes the shadows into arabesques...
Next the Cathedral ...
Placing oneself at the back of the central nave for a complete view,
one sees in the apsis: a magnificent Wooden Crucifix of XIII century;
two twisted columns and two Pulpits remains of an antique ambo; over
the altar a painting of the Martyrdom of St. Andrew a work of Andrea
Dell'Asta
Pupil of Solimena (1715) ;the new High Altar made from the sarcophagus
of the Archbishop Pietro Capuano who died in 1359 A.D. Please do not
miss: the delicate "Cross of Mother of Pearl" that comes
from the Holy Land, and at the exit the Bronze Doors, the first to
appear in Italy, brought from Constantinople, a gift of a patrician of
Amalfi and work of Simone of Syria (1066), A look at the square before
moving on, noisy and full movement dominated by the Fountain of the
Population , a copy of the original lost in the violent floods of
1356...
Walking
directly along the Viale dei Prefetturi until we come first to the Church
of S. Maria Maggiore (X century) and then on to S. Maria
Addolorata, seat of the like named arch-confraternity of 1777 A.D.
who organize the Vespers of Holy Week. The candid hooded Corteo dei
Battenti who carry in procession the " Sacred Mysteries"
symbols of the Passion and Death of Christ. On Maundy Thursday a sad
procession complete the Stations of the Cross in the streets and
alleys of the town:
On Good
Friday with only the light of torches the funeral procession with the
Dead Christ and Our Mother of Sorrows passes in complete silence,
until slowly the choir start a lament describing the desperation of
the Madonna, (music and words by the Amalfitan musician Antonio
Tirobassi (1882-1947)...
Straight ahead on the main road, until the Ruga Nova the
ancient arcade which begin with the remains of an Arab Bath,
and ends in the Square of the Spirito Santo .
Rest here a moment at the Fountain "Capo 'e Ciuccio" (where
the donkeys that come down from
the Valley of the Mills drink ). Now we continue to the higher part of
the town.
Under the
arch of "Faenza" the ancient Arab quarter, we find the Paper
Factory Cavaliere that continues to make handmade paper using
traditional methods and a hundred metres ahead the Museum of Handmade
Paper of Amalfi , in the museum you can admire antique machinery used
to produce the precious paper. A series of old buildings and the brick
Chimney Stack that is a record of the manufacturing activities
of the past in Amalfi, (paper and ceramics ); at the end of the road
the Museum of Peasant Arts and Occupations with a large
collection of agricultural implements and artisan utensils used on the
Amalfi coast in the last four hundred years.
Beside the Museum , steep steps lead to the Valley of the Forges,
in a time not to distant a real industrial area between
Amalfi-Scala-Pogerola:
Apart from the interesting Remains of the papermills (industrial
archaeology) there were forges that in the XIV century worked the
mineral that the ships of Amalfi carried from Elba, Puglia and
Calabria.
The factory gave work to the surrounding areas who specialized, Scala
produced the charcoal for the forges, and Pogerola the manpower who in
small workshops produced "Centrelle" (nails) ...
The activity continued until the beginning of the last century when
too far from the markets, the Ferriera closed and then started the
slow abandon of the valley. The abandonment was not a completely bad
thing as nature returned to the uncontaminated state much loved by the
Grand Romantic travellers: Shinkel, Hare , Goethe and Richter to name
only a few of those ( who painted and wrote about this famous valley,
leaving traces of its beauty all over the world).
The habitat of rare species of animals, Pilgrim Falcon, Otter
and the curious salamander with glasses... Delicate cyclamen
,wild orchids, Neophyte plants: Woodwaria Radicans or Felce
Bulbifera Gigante, a fern of the tertiary period , under the tutelage
of the Convention of Berne...
A good argument
for the creation of a Nature Reserve...
Back on the main road opposite the fountain "Capa e Ciuccio"
on the left, Castriota Mansion, late Gothic in style the
entrance contains two valuable frescoes portraying the Ducal epoch.
Walk up the steps and along the passage to the next floor and we come
to Via F.M.Pansa with the remains of the ancient Convent of St.
Nicola (Chapel with a vault in form of a cross) continuing along
the narrow alley , we find the entrances to a series of mansions of
the Amalfitan nobility...
We come out into the interesting square of the Doges, on the north the
passage to the Cathedral Square with two large acute arches of the
antique Arsenal of the Republic. The only example of a naval
shipyard in the south, on record from the XI century, the actual
twelve arches represent the remaining part of the original twenty-two
that opened onto the sea .On the outside wall a magnificent Ceramic
Panel by Rossi showing the Trade of Amalfi...
On the southern side of the square, steep steps lead to Vagliendola
neighbourhood, this was the western door of the city, the
Vallenula, (there were another four) the Church of St. Biagio
an ancient property of the Abbey of Montecassino. The plan is simple
except for the little Byzantine bell-tower, it has valuable fifteenth
century paintings and a splendid Ceramic Pavement of the '700 A.D.
Straight along the picturesque lane under the houses until the
celebrated Hotel of The Capuchins..."Who has not seen
Amalfi has not seen the world, but who has not visited the terrace of
the Convent of the Capuchins, has not seen Amalfi..." ( O.
Sitwell)
The hotel is in the buildings of an ancient convent of 1212A.D.,
founded by Pietro Capuano that replaced the Church of St. Peter a
Toczolo, of the X century. Run by the Cistercians of Fossanova and
later abandoned, the Covent in 1583, was given to the Capuchins and
suppressed by the abolition laws in 1815. A landslide destroyed part
of the building but quite large part is conserved: the beautiful Cloister
of the XIII century (the third Cloister in Amalfi) and a magnificent
colonnade with flowers....The panorama is enchanting from here, Amalfi
offers an unforgettable vision: the white houses among the lemons and
olives, sloping to the beach as if to dive into the magnificent
emerald sea...
On the road again passing the gallery "del Cieco" ,take the
inside via Maestra dei Villaggi, the only road that unites the
outlying houses to the centre; the lazy ones amongst us should
continue on the SS163,and then take via Papa Leone X , the road to
Pogerola ;we continue on foot.
The first village we come to is Pastena, a few houses with big arched
windows spread along the spectacular terraces of lemon groves that go
down to the sea : dominated by the Parish Church of S.Maria Assunta of
the XIV century....
Straight on to Lone, another village grouped around the Church of
the Natività di Maria Vergine, of the last century, in the centre
of an ample terrace like a dream amongst the green of the lemon groves
: from here Amalfi and the entire gulf on one side, the village of
Vettica on the other, and below the beach of S. Croce with the Natural
Arch, and Conca dei Marini...
We now take the steep steps to via Papa Leone X, going upwards for
five-hundred metres, to the Punta di Pastena, at the Church of the
Assunta we come out amongst the lemons of via Montetillo... follow via
Spinale to the delightful village of Pogerola...
Ancient Castrum Pigellule, endowed with an imposing boundary wall with
towers and entrance doors, it protected the western side of Amalfi,
with a number of houses inside, little farms Churches and monasteries,
from those glorious times remain: at the extreme south the Tower of
Pogerola with pieces of the wall in the woods in the
vicinity; the Parish Church of S. Marina of 1140A.D.; the
Ruins of the monastery of SS.Benedetto and Scolastica at Tavernate
in the heart of a chestnut wood in the hamlet...
In the centre of the square the beautiful Church of the Madonna
delle Grazie of the XVI century,that holds an altar piece of the
XVII century...
On the left hand side of the Church, Via Riulo that leads to the
quarter of the same name, and at the heart of the Pogerola mountain
Tavernata, where in ancient times the via Stabiana passed, the artery
that joined the territories of Amalfi to the Peninsula of Sorrento.
Resisting the call of the woods and the verdant vigour of the
mountains, and the fresh air of Pogerola to turn the right towards the
wide steps that twist in curves through the wooded hills of Mount
Tabor, until we arrive at Amalfi and the magnificent Valley dei
Mulini....
LIST
OF MONUMENTS AND SITES OF SCENIC AND CULTURAL INTEREST
Cloister
of St.Francis (in the Hotel Luna Convent)
Church of St. Anthony of Padua
The ceramic Panel of Diadoro Cossa
Salon Morelli /Civic Museum
The Architectural Complex of the Cathedral
Church of S. Maria Maggiore
Church of the Addolorata
Valley of the mills
The ancient Paper Factory
Museum of Peasant Arts and Crafts
Valley of the Forges
Castriota Mansion
The Doges Square
The Ancient Arsenal
The Ceramic Panel of Renato Rossi
The quarter of Vagliendola
The Church of S. Biagio
The Hotel of the Capuchins
Church of S.Maria Assunta at Pastena
Church of the Nativity of Maria Vergine
Village of Pogerola
Parish Church of S.Marina
Church of S.Maria delle Grazie
The Castle Ruins
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